Daniel
Will Oldham & Tortoise Lyrics

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Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for spain
Oh and I can see daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

They say spain is pretty though Ive never been
Well daniel says its the best place that hes ever seen
Oh and he should know, hes been there enough

Lord I miss daniel, oh I miss him so much

Daniel my brother you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that wont heal
Your eyes have died but you see more than i
Daniel youre a star in the face of the sky

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for spain
Oh and I can see daniel waving goodbye

God it looks like daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
Oh God it looks like daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Will Oldham/Tortoise's "Daniel" tell the story of a man named Daniel who is leaving on a plane to travel to Spain. The singer watches as the plane takes off, seeing the red tail lights and imagining Daniel waving goodbye. The singer has never been to Spain, but Daniel claims it is the best place he has ever seen. Despite Daniel's overuse of the phrase, the singer misses him very much.

The second verse of the song is particularly poignant, with the singer addressing Daniel directly. He asks if Daniel still feels the pain of his scars, and though his eyes may have died, he sees more than the singer. The line "Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky" is a beautiful way of describing the transcendent nature of fame, and how even though someone may no longer be with us, their legacy lives on like a star in the sky.

Overall, the song is a bittersweet meditation on the nature of loss and the power of memory. The singer misses Daniel dearly, and though he may be physically gone, his presence lingers on in the singer's mind and in the sky above.

Line by Line Meaning

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
Daniel is currently in transit on an aircraft

I can see the red tail lights heading for spain
From my vantage point, I can observe the taillights of the plane Daniel is on as it departs for Spain

Oh and I can see daniel waving goodbye
I can see Daniel acknowledging his departure by waving farewell

God it looks like daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
It appears that I am seeing an image of Daniel that may be a result of a visual distortion caused by the clouds

They say spain is pretty though Ive never been
There is a common belief that Spain is a beautiful place, but I have never had the chance to experience it myself

Well daniel says its the best place that hes ever seen
Daniel has asserted that Spain is the most exceptional location he has visited

Oh and he should know, hes been there enough
Daniel has had the opportunity to visit Spain on numerous occasions, and therefore has a credible opinion on its qualities

Lord I miss daniel, oh I miss him so much
I am experiencing strong emotions of loss and longing for Daniel's presence

Daniel my brother you are older than me
Daniel is my sibling and, in terms of age, he is my senior

Do you still feel the pain of the scars that wont heal
I am inquiring if Daniel still experiences physical or emotional distress from injuries that failed to properly heal

Your eyes have died but you see more than i
Although your eyes no longer function properly, they still possess an ability to perceive things beyond my own comprehension

Daniel youre a star in the face of the sky
Daniel, in my eyes, is a prominent and distinguished figure amidst the vastness of the universe

Oh God it looks like daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
It once again appears that the sighting of Daniel is an illusory image caused by the clouds affecting my vision

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Vladimir Cort, Elton John, Bernie Taupin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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